Author's Note: Sorry, it has been a few days, but I was stuck on how to end this story. Let me know what you think about what I came up with. Just so everyone knows, I was raised and therefore my Erin character was raised to believe that you don't "share" your bed with a man who is not your husband.

Chapter 10

The day of the funeral was very hard, but having Horatio standing beside me made it a little bit easier. The service was lovely and many wonderful things were shared about my Grandmother. After the funeral, family and friends met back at my house to share a meal. We hadn't been back at the house for very long when Horatio's cell phone rang. He listened intently to the caller on the other end and then hung up and turned to me.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but I have to go to the lab for a little while," he told me hugging me close.

"I understand Horatio. Will...will you come back tonight?" I asked ashamed of myself for being so clingy.

"If that's what you want then I will," he said tilting my chin up so I would look at him.

"I want you to but I'll understand if you need some time to yourself. I've been very selfish the last few days," I told him.

"Hey, you haven't been selfish. I've wanted to be with you Erin. You know me well enough by now to know that if I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be. I want to be with you as much as possible, not just for you, but for me too. I wouldn't be leaving you now if the chief wasn't breathing down my neck. I promise you I'll be back as soon as I can," he told me and I nodded. He kissed me again before turning and heading for the front door.

The rest of the afternoon went by much more quickly than I was anticipating it would and before I knew it, it was just me, my Dad, Uncle Gregg and his family left. Gregg's wife helped me put away all of the extra food and then they left to go back to their own home a few miles away. My Dad would spend the night again before returning to his own home as well. Daddy was just about to head for bed when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," he said when I started to get up and I nodded. "Lieutenant Caine, what are you doing here?" Daddy said when he opened the door and my head shot up at the tone of his voice.

"I am here because Erin asked me to come back when I was finished at the lab," he answered and pushed his way past my father and toward me.

I noticed as he came toward me that he had stopped at his condo on the way back and had changed into more comfortable clothing. I smiled at him and held my hand out to him. He took it and sat down beside me.

"Good night Daddy," I said looking up at my father and seeing the conflict in his eyes.

He had tolerated Horatio spending the last two nights with me because of my grief, but now that the funeral was over it would be hard for him not to say something. After several minutes, Daddy finally turned and went to bed but I knew at some point there would be a discussion.

"Think he'll take a swing at me the first chance he gets?" Horatio whispered in my ear.

"Nah, he'll talk first. Don't worry about it Horatio, I'll talk to him tomorrow before he leaves," I said and then rose to my feet and held my hand out to him once more. Taking my hand I led him to my bedroom.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Horatio, I need you to hold me and if we spend one more night on that sofa, I'm afraid both of us will be crippled. I know you respect me and would never ask me to do anything that would compromise my beliefs or my wishes. So, yes, I'm sure, but if you are uncomfortable we can go back to the sofa.

His answer was to settle down on the bed and pull me down beside him. I lay my head on his chest over his heart and let the steady beat of his life force and the warmth of his strong embrace lull me to sleep.

Chapter 11

When I awoke the next morning it was to the smell of brewing coffee and one look at the clock told me both my Dad and Horatio were already up. I heard the door of the bathroom down the hall open and my father's footsteps coming down the hall, which meant that Horatio was the one in the kitchen making coffee. Hoping to way lay a confrontation, I jumped up and headed toward the kitchen where I knew I would find the two men. I hadn't moved fast enough however, so I simply stopped within earshot and waited in case I needed to intervene.

"Good morning Jeff," Horatio greeted as my father entered the kitchen.

"Lieutenant Caine, you and I need to talk," my father replied and I cringed at his formality. He hadn't called Horatio by his rank since their first meeting.

"All right Mr. Graycen, what would you like to talk about?" Horatio answered in the same formal tone.

"You have spent the last several nights with my daughter and I have been understanding because of her grief over Mom, but last night you slept in the same bed. I want to know what your intentions are toward my daughter Lieutenant."

There was a moment of silence after this in which I knew the two men were probably glaring at each other before Horatio finally answered.

"Mr. Graycen, I respect your daughter and would never ask her to do anything that would compromise her beliefs. Yes, I shared the same bed with Erin last night, but all I did was hold her and comfort her, nothing more. As for my intentions sir, when the time is right I intend to marry Erin and start a family with her if she'll have me," Horatio told him and with tears of a different kind in my eyes, I entered the kitchen surprising both men.

"Do you really want me to be your wife and have your children?" I asked walking up to Horatio and completely ignoring my Dad.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I didn't mean for you to hear that right now. I wanted to give you time to adjust to our new relationship before I asked you," he said caressing my face with the backs of his fingers. "Yes, I really want you to be my wife and have my children."

"I want that too Horatio and it's not too soon. We have known each other for two years and I've loved you from the first time we met," I told him, still ignoring my father.

"In that case, Erin Graycen, will you marry me," he whispered against my ear having wrapped a hand behind my neck and pulled me close.

"Yes I will," I answered simply and without hesitation.

"Does that answer all of your questions and concerns Mr. Graycen?" Horatio asked never taking his eyes from mine.

"I had to be sure you were serious Horatio. I know you love Erin, I can see it every time you look at her, but she is my baby girl and I have to make sure she is safe," my Dad answered and kissing me gently, Horatio turned back to face him.

"I understand Jeff, I'm sure I will be the same way with our daughter some day," Horatio told him holding his hand out to the other man showing there were no hard feelings. Daddy took his offered hand and then drew Horatio into a hug.

"Welcome to the family," he said thumping Horatio on the back and then taking his mug of coffee he left us alone in the kitchen. Coming back to me, Horatio pulled me into his arms and kissed me properly, letting all of his feeling flow out to me in that kiss so that more was said than words ever could.

"I have to get to work," he said pulling away from the kiss only when oxygen became a necessity.

"I'll see you tonight," I told him and he left for the lab.

Epilogue

One Year Later

The halls of Dade Memorial were quiet as Horatio made his way down to his wife's room. He had hated to leave her, but I had gone home to take a much needed shower and change clothes. Reaching the correct room, he eased the door open and simply stood and stared at the bed where Erin lay, thanking God that this woman had come into his life and was still here. After several moments of watching her, he walked to the side of the bed.

"Hey," he whispered and she looked up at him with those radiant green eyes that he loved so much.

"Hey yourself," she answered as he leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.

"You should have stayed at home and taken a nap," she told him.

"I didn't want to be away from my girls any longer than I had to," he replied and bent down to place a kiss on the top of the strawberry blond head of his infant daughter who lay in her mother's arms.

"Isn't she beautiful Horatio."

"Just like her mother," he answered and she smiled up at him.

Mary Katherine Caine had been born early that morning after eighteen hours of labor. She had weighed in at 7lbs 12oz and 21 inches long. Erin and Horatio had married only a month after Horatio's conversation with Jeff Graycen and two months later they had found out that they were going to be parents. They had both loved their daughter from the moment they found out she was on her way and they would have plenty of help with taking care of her as their team had been just as anxious for her arrival as they had been.

"I love you Mrs. Caine," Horatio said kissing his wife.

"I love you to Mr. Caine," Erin replied and knew that her Grandmother would have loved the way her life had turned out. She still missed her every day, but she knew that her Grandmother would want her to concentrate on her new family and she intended to raise her daughter the same way she had been raised.